CONCLUSIONS. 47 



The total yearly outlay for the crude materials, and also for the 

 finished products, is sufficient to attract attention and is deserving 

 of concerted action on the part of growers and others who might 

 profitably engage in this neglected field of research and practice. 



PRESENT SOURCES AND COST OF PRODUCTION OF VOLATILE OILS. 



The present source of these commercial products, which may be 

 gleaned from the tabulation, is Europe, from whence they are im- 

 ported both in the crude state and in the manufactured condition. 

 Italy possibly furnishes the smallest quota of volatile oils and the 

 largest valuation, the products being chiefly the citrus oils, supplied 

 solely by Sicily and Italy and consumed to a great extent in the 

 United States. From France the large proportion of perfumery 

 extracts and finer essential oils is imported. Avhile (lermany, Turkey, 

 and Great Britain distribute to this country large consignments of 

 crude and purified volatile oils. 



The Mediterranean regions of Europe are the chief sources of these 

 aromatics, which are so generally employed in the industries in 

 diverse waj's. The cost of production is minimized in these countries 

 because of the cheaper class of labor as compared with laboi' in 

 America, for instance. In the handling of many flowers and plants, 

 much hand labor is required, especially in the collection of the mate- 

 rial prior to distillation. The actual distillation and purification of 

 the oils can be conducted with equal economy in the United States, 

 while in the case of no small number of plants which may be suitably 

 collected and distilled in the whole condition the question of labor 

 becomes a less serious factor, especially in some instances where mow- 

 ing machines may be employed advantageously to harvest the crops. 

 AVhere hand picking is required, as in the case of some of the more 

 delicate odors from flowers and flowering tops, cultivation and ex- 

 traction of the odor could possibly be carried out in the Southern 

 States, which have abundant sunshine, an important prerequisite in 

 odor development. Furthermore, the lal)or conditions in the South- 

 ern States are such that the cost of gathering, which is a serious 

 obstacle, would be comparable to a degree with that in foreign 

 countries 



CONCLUSIONS. 



In view of the success which has been achieved in the United 

 States along a number of special lines, the outlook for a very con- 

 siderable extension of the volatile-oil industrv in general seems 

 promising. Favorable conditions of soil and climate seem to be 

 obtainable. With an increased practical knowledge of how to luuidle 

 the crops of greatest promise and with a working familiarity with the 



195 



